Hot spots reported in Milwaukee auto salvage fire

Fire crews continue to address hot spots in a fire at Roz's Salvage Yard near the Mitchell Airport.

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Updated: 2:39 PM CDT Apr 24, 2014

Hot spots reported in Milwaukee auto salvage fire

Fire crews continue to address hot spots in a fire at Roz's Salvage Yard near the Mitchell Airport.

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Updated: 2:39 PM CDT Apr 24, 2014

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WEBVTT LET'S SAY, 2:45 P.M. THE FIRE CHIEF REEFING REPORTERS. HE IS FLYING OVER THE SCENE. WHAT IS THE LATEST FROM YOUR VANTAGE POINT? YOU CAN SEE WHAT HE WAS DESCRIBING IN A NEWS CONFERENCE. THE VEHICLES IN THE EXTERNAL LOT ALSO CAUGHT FIRE. YOU CAN SEE THE FIREFIGHTERS PULLING APART THE STRUCTURES SLOWLY BEFORE GAINING ENTRY, BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE QUITMAN THAT COLLAPSED. YOU CAN SEE IT IS PILED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER. -- ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT COLLAPSED. YOU CAN SEE THIS PILED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER. THEY ARE PEELING BACK THE WALLS TO GET TO SOME OF THE FIRE THAT THEY COULD NOT REACH BECAUSE OF THE ROOF LAPSING ON TOP. THEY ARE GOING THROUGH THAT SECTION BY SECTION. I STILL SEE A FEW FLAMES UNDER SOME ROOF PIECES. THEY STILL HAVE SOME WORK AHEAD OF THEM. AND YOU CAN SEE FLAMES BURIED UNDER SOME OF THOSE RACKS AND ROOF SECTIONS. HE WILL HAVE TO GET ALL OF THAT EXTINGUISHED. THEY WILL HAVE TO PEEL BACK SOME OF THE ROOFING THAT COLLAPSED. I COUNT 12 CARS, INCLUDING THE TWO THAT I CAN SEE INSIDE THE STRUCTURE, THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY GUTTED BY FIRE. YOU CAN SEE A NUMBER OF THEM ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING AND A COUPLE ON THE INSIDE. THAT DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR ANY THAT MIGHT BE COVERED BY SOME OF THE ROOFING EQUIPMENT. THEY MENTION THEY MAY NEED TO USE HEAVY EQUIPMENT. THEY DO HAVE A BACKHOE ON HAND, IN CASE THEY NEED TO START PULLING BACK THE LARGER CHUNKS OF DEBRIS TO EXPOSE ANY REMAINING FLAMES THAT MIGHT BE UNDERNEATH THE COLLAPSED PORTION. I WOULD AGREE THAT IT LOOKS LIKE THE CARS THAT WERE BURNED RACK SHALL HE PART OF THE SALVAGE. -- WERE ACTUALLY PART OF THE SALVAGE. YOU CAN SEE THE EMPLOYEE PARKING IS OUTSIDE THE GATE. IT IS A LARGE PREMISES. YOU CAN SEE THEY DO HAVE THE FIRE CONTAINED. RIGHT NOW, 40 MILE PER HOUR WINDS 900 FEET ABOVE THE SCENE. YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH ALL OF THAT TIRE DEBRIS AND GAS AND THE BUILDING EARNING, THAT THICK SMOKE WAS ALMOST LAYING DOWN ON THE GROUND AS IT BLEW THROUGH. THAT IS THE REASON THEY SHUT THE AIRPORT. IT HAS SINCE BEEN REOPENED TO STOP -- HAS BEEN REOPENED. THEY HAVE THE FIRE CONTAINED FOR THE MOST PART AT THIS POINT. WE ENERGY STILL HAS CREWS ON THE SCENE. AS THE CHIEF WAS TALKING ABOUT POSSIBLE CAUSES HE SAID IT WOULD TAKE A LITTLE BIT FOR INVESTIGATORS TO GET IN AND NAIL THAT DOWN. BUT HE DID SAY WAS PROBABLY EITHER PORTABLE PROPANE TANKS ON SITE, OR THE TANKS THAT WERE IN THE CARS THAT EXPLODED. COULD YOU ELABORATE MORE ON WHAT YOU SEE, AS FAR AS INVESTIGATORS ON THE SCENE YOU ARE PEOPLE GETTING CLOSE ENOUGH TO EVEN START TO DETERMINE THAT? I WOULD -- TO DETERMINE THAT? I WOULD SAY THAT THEY HAVE NOT EVEN GOT NEAR ENOUGH TO DETERMINE THAT. THEY ARE TAKING PHOTOS AND TRYING TO ASSESS AND TALK TO GROUND CREWS. WHAT A MESS. THE ROOF COLLAPSING, THESE RACKS COLLAPSING, AND THE DEBRIS PILED ON TOP, IT WILL BE A WHILE BEFORE THEY CAN GET IN THERE AND PIECE TOGETHER WHERE THE FIRE ORIGINATED. IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE RACKS, THEY ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE SITTING ON THE OUTSIDE. THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS, TIRES, WHEELS, LOOKS LIKE SOME ENGINE PART AS WELL. A LOT OF HEAVY PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO

Hot spots reported in Milwaukee auto salvage fire

Fire crews continue to address hot spots in a fire at Roz's Salvage Yard near the Mitchell Airport.